The laceration of his left index finger proved to be a bit of a nuisance for the veteran, but not a significant obstacle in getting ready for the season.

"The stitches were removed two days ago, so that wound is healing up," said manager John Farrell. "He still needs some padding on the finger inside the glove. We fully expect him to be on the mound Thursday. You might see him use a little different glove, a little bigger glove just to give him more webbing to catch the ball in. No, we don't see it being a hindrance to his pitching."

The way the rotation is tentatively lined up, Peavy would make his first start of the season on April 4 against the Brewers, which is the home opener.

"Much like we've seen Clay [Buchholz] and Jon Lester go to the mound with three innings, that's the goal on Thursday [for Peavy]," said Farrell.

Ian Browne is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Brownie Points, and follow him on Twitter @IanMBrowne. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.